Research On The Inland Ship Investment Promotion Bureau

As we all know,the inland navigation rights of sovereign countries are sacred and inviolable.However,since the beginning of modern times,imperialist powers have carried out large-scale aggression against China’s inland navigation rights by means of unequal treaties.At the same time,before the Sino Japanese War of 1894-1895,the Qing government adopted a policy of strictly restricting the use and purchase of ships by Chinese merchants,which made it difficult for China’s national shipping industry to develop normally under the dual oppression of domestic and foreign forces.In 1898,the promulgation of the Charter of Inland Port Shipping enabled the majority of Chinese businessmen to obtain the legitimate rights and interests of chartering and purchasing ships.Although the imperialist powers launched a new round of large-scale competition and monopoly over China’s inland navigation rights during this period,and the government still had many restrictions on Chinese businessmen’s ships traveling in inland waters,the number of national shipping enterprises in China was gradually increasing,and inland steamship investment promotion bureaus also took advantage of the situation.Inland River Shipping Merchants Bureau is a subsidiary of the Shipping Merchants Bureau that specializes in inland shipping.It existed for more than 30 years from its establishment in 1902 to its suspension in 1936.Its rise and fall reflected the development of modern inland shipping in China to a certain extent.Studying this history is of great significance to further clarify the history of inland navigation in China.This article mainly divides into three parts to summarize and sort out the establishment and development process of Inland River Ship Investment Promotion Bureau:The first part introduces the background of the establishment of Inland River Ship Investment Promotion Bureau,mainly from three aspects: the invasion of foreign powers on China’s shipping sovereignty,the gradual relaxation of the Qing government’s restrictions on inland river shipping,and the difficult development of China’s national shipping industry.The second part discusses the development process of the Inland River Ship Investment Promotion Bureau,introduces its establishment in the late Qing Dynasty,the expansion of the Northern Ocean and the National Government,and the closure of the three stages,and sorts out the operation and management of the Inland River Ship Investment Promotion Bureau during this period.After the establishment of the Bureau in the late Qing Dynasty,through a series of expansion activities and gradual improvement of the Articles of Association,the Bureau became a considerable inland shipping enterprise around the Republic of China,and established the largest inland shipping network in China at that time.However,in the period of entering the Beiyang and the National Government,affected by war,market competition and other factors,the Inland Shipping Investment Promotion Bureau lost money year by year,declined day by day,and finally stopped in 1936.The third part analyzes the reasons for the decline of the Inland River Ship Investment Promotion Bureau and evaluates the history of the Inland River Ship Investment Promotion Bureau.The establishment of the Inland River Ship Investment Promotion Bureau has stimulated the national awareness of navigation rights and driven the development of our national inland river shipping industry.In the later period of the operation of Inland River Shipping Merchants Bureau,it was impacted by traditional civilian shipping,other shipping enterprises,new modes of transportation such as railways and highways,and its own management had serious problems.It was unable to break through its limitations after all,so it was officially suspended in 1936.This once the largest inland shipping enterprise,one of the largest affiliated enterprises of China Shipping Merchants Bureau,finally disappeared in the long river of history.The process of its emergence,development and decline is the epitome of modern Chinese national enterprises,and also reflects the fate of modern national enterprises.